Her glass seemed to always be empty. The waiter would bring a new one without any judgement. But as soon as the glass hit the table, the alcohol would disappear. She didn't remember drinking it. She didn't remember much. Except for the fact that she has been waiting for her date to show up for two hours. The tables around her slowly seemed to empty as people enjoyed their meal and went home.
"Ma'am, are you still waiting?" the waiter asks for the third time that night.
Vera looks up, her eyes red but the tears remained hidden. She smiles a pained smile and hands him her empty glass.
"No. Thank you." she says. He walks away to get her check while she calls Nestor. He answers on the second ring.
"Hey, V. How did it go?" he asks happily.
"I'm ready to be picked up." she says, trying to hide her pain.
"Now? At the restaurant?" he asks with surprise.
"Yes. Thank you." she says before hanging up. The waiter walks back and hands her the check. She slides her card into the clear pocket and sets the black book on the edge of the table. The waiter collects it and leaves to swipe her card.
Perhaps she should've worn the red dress. Maybe he walked in and saw her long dress and walked right back out. Maybe he agreed to go out with her out of pity and never intended to actually take her out. Maybe-
"Have a nice evening ma'am." the waiter says, handing her the black book. She smiles and takes her card out to slide it back into her purse.
"Vera?" Nestor asks, walking inside. She stands up, her eyes staying hidden from his. She grabs her purse and walks out to the car with Nestor following.
"What's wrong?" he asks, opening her door for her. She slides in, not saying anything to him. He gets in on his side and turns to look at her.
"What?" he asks. She finally glances over at him and his gaze softens.
"Why didn't he show?" she asks. He sighs sadly and takes her hand in his.
"Because he is an idiot." he says. Her expression didn't change and Nestor felt like he had to do something to cheer her up.
"I'll take you out." he suggests. She looks up at him with confusion.
"I don't need your pity date, Nestor." she says sadly.
"It won't be a pity date. Believe me. I want to." he says happily.
"When?" she asks, still unsure.
"Right now." he says, starting the car.
"Now?" she asks with surprise.
"Well you're already so beautiful. We can't let the night go to waste because of one dick." he says, driving down the road.
"But I'm...I am a little drunk." she says.
"Well then I have some catching up to do now, don't I." he says with a smile. She giggles, her mood completely changed from the previous solemn one.
"It's a nice place. Secluded. Out in the open, nothing around for miles. It's a good place to go when you need to get away from life." he says. She smiles, and he grabs her hand. She looks over with surprise and pulls her hand away.
"Wha-" he asks, looking hurt.
"This is our first date, Nestor. Take it slow." she says with a smirk. He chuckles and shakes his head. They sit in silence for a few miles, Vera stares up at the stars while Nestor sneaks glances at her.
"Nes?" she asks, turning to him with confusion.
"Yeah?"
"That car has been following us for some time. They're getting awfully close." she says with worry, glancing out the back window at the car approaching.
"I'm sure it's just coincidence." he says, glancing in his rear view mirror at the headlights approaching. Vera nods but shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Nestor places his hand on her thigh and she allows this, needing the comfort of his touch. She places her hand over his, gripping it tightly.
Her eyes remain on the side mirror while Nestor stares at the road ahead. Eventually, the car begins to pass them but hesitates.
"Nes." Vera says in a worried tone. Nestor glances over at the three men who are bopping their heads to whatever heavy metal song is playing through the speakers of their car. Nestor tries to speed up to pass them but they speed up too. The car swerved toward them, making Nestor swerve a little off of the road and then back on.
"What the fuck are they doing?" Nestor asks, trying to speed up again. They swerve again, this time hitting Nestor's car but not doing much damage.
"Pull over." the man shouts through Nestor's window. Nestor grips the wheel tightly and presses down on the gas. They speed up with him and swerve into him, this time staying with Nestor's car, making a loud screeching noise. Nestor slams on the breaks, making the car spin before it eventually stops on the side of the road. The other car pulls off to the side and the men get out.
"Nestor." Vera whispers in fear.
"It's alright. Don't get out of the car." he tells her, gripping her hand.
A man with long brown hair knocks on Nestor's window. He had sleeves of tattoos on his arm and a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. Nestor rolls down the window slightly.
"You weren't gonna pull over after an accident?" the man asks.
"Well I-"
"Woulda been a hit and run. You really gonna do that to us?" he asks, blowing smoke into their car.
Vera looks at the two other men who are staring at her with hungry eyes. She looks away, her eyes focusing solely on Nestor's hand around her own.
"Get out of the car. Let's exchange information." he says, stepping away from Nestor's door.
"Hey, Red. Looks like he's got a flat." the meaty, bald guy says, looking at Nestor's front right tire.
"So you do. What're you gonna do now, big fella?" Red asks Nestor.
"Is there a police station nearby? Maybe we should drive there to exchange information." Nestor suggests.
"Hm. Yeah down the road a few miles is the station. You can tell them how you ran me off the road." he says with a smirk.
"We did not!" Vera says, leaning forward.
"V." Nestor whispers with warning.
"You calling me a liar, little lady?" he asks, bending down to see her through the window.
"You know the truth." she says back.
"Look, you know what? You want to drive to the station? Fine. Go ahead." Red says with a smirk. Nestor hesitates, staring at the man with confusion.
"Drive on it asshole. No one is stopping you, drive away!" the man shouts, earning a chuckle from the man in a ball cap and flannel.
"Nes, go." Vera says impatiently. Nestor turns on the car and puts it in drive. He presses on the gas and the car slowly inches forward before stopping due to the flat tire.
"Shit." Nestor says, hitting the steering wheel.
"Oh God. Oh God." Vera whispers, breathing heavily.
"It's okay. It's alright." Nestor says, glaring at the steering wheel.
"It's not okay. We are in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. What're we gonna do?" she whispers.
"Tell you what, if you have an extra tire, my boys could fix it." Red says, stepping back to the car.
"You would?" Vera asks with surprise.
"Sure! Just show us where the tire is." he says while the other two men walk to their car to retrieve tools. Nestor glances nervously at Vera before stepping out of the car and closing his door behind him. He opens the trunk and pulls out their extra tire.
"Your lady needs to step outside." Red says, wheeling the tire to the two men who are waiting.
"No." Nestor says sternly.
"If my guys are gonna change the tire, they gotta lift the car. Your woman can't be inside." he tells Nestor.
Nestor glances at Vera and sighs, walking to her side of the car. He opens her door and she slowly steps out, automatically grabbing Nestor's hand.
"Tough guy, step over here for a moment." the man says.
"Stay here." Nestor whispers, letting go of Vera's hand. Nestor steps forward, walking to Red who is standing by his own car.
"You see what you did to my car?" he asks Nestor.
Nestor nods, glancing back at Vera who is staring at him with worry and fear. Nestor looks over at the two men who are changing his tire.
"Now when you get your tire fixed, we are going down to the station, right?" he asks, grabbing Nestor's attention again.
"Yes." Nestor says, looking at the man.
"And you'll tell me how you ran me off the road." Red says.
"Yes. Of cou-"
"Nestor!" Vera squeals, stepping away from the two men who have approached her. Nestor runs over to her, pushing the men out of the way.
"Get off of her." he orders.
"We just wanted to play-"
"No get the fuck away from her." he says angrily, standing in front of Vera protectively.
"You don't talk to my boys that way." Red says, grabbing Nestor's shirt.
"Then get your animals away from her. No one touches her-"
The big bald guy punches Nestor in the nose, making it bleed. Vera gasps, tears running down her cheeks.
"That's how you talk to us? We fix your damn tire and you talk to us like that?" Red asks angrily.
"No. Look, I am sorry. But no one touches her. Let's just drive to the station now. Okay?" Nestor asks, wiping the blood away.
"Oh you alright? I mean do you need a tissue?" Red asks, looking at Nestor's nose.
"Hey honey," he says, looking at Vera. "You got a tampon? Because his nose looks like shit." he says with a laugh.
"Alright. Alright. I'm fine." Nestor says.
"This is bad news." he says. He turns to his two boys.
"We good?" he asks. They nod.
"Alright. We are good to go. We are set." he says.
"How far up the road?" Nestor asks, grabbing Vera's hand.
"Few miles. How's you suppose we get there?" he asks.
"In our cars." Nestor says, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Which one?" he asks.
"Wha...both cars." Nestor says with confusion.
"Don't try your shit with me!" Red shouts.
"What is the matter?" Nestor asks.
"Don't try no shit with me." he shouts.
"What the fuck is the matter with you?" Nestor says, tightening his grip on Vera.
"How do I know you ain't just gonna floor the gas and leave me in the dust?" he asks.
"You get in your car and we will get in ours and we will follow you-"
"Fuck you, no. You get in my car."
"No-"
"You come with us."
"No I'm not gonna do that." Nestor says.
"Okay, fine. You drive your car and the girl comes with us." he says with a smile. Behind Vera, the two man grab her arms, yanking her away from Nestor. She gasps as a flash of a memory comes back to her of when she was being dragged through the hallway, her body limp from the drugs.
"Don't touch me." she says.
"Get your hands off of her. We aren't doing that." Nestor says angrily. He steps forward to fight the men off but Red pulls him back by his shirt, pushing him to the ground.
The men start grabbing at Vera's clothes, making her scream. The sound of her own scream made another memory flash before her eyes of when she was strapped down to a table while they did experiments on her.
"Stop it! Get off!" she screams, fighting the men.
"Get your hands off of her!" Nestor shouts.
Vera finally elbows one of the men in the eye, making him release her. She runs away from them into the field, stopping about a yard away.
"Bye sweetheart." Red says with a smile.
"I love you!" he adds.
Nestor stands up and begins walking toward Vera.
"Is she the boss? Is she in control of you?" Red asks.
"Have you got a vagina?" he asks, squatting down to look at Nestor's jeans.
"Vera?" Nestor asks.
"You alright?" he calls out, ignoring the men.
"Vagina boy." the man in the hat says with a smirk.
"Get in the car, Nes." she says, walking back.
"Are you okay?" he asks again, following her.
"Just get in the car, Nestor." she says, quickly sliding into the car.
"There she goes!" the bald man says, running around and getting in the driver's seat. Nestor freezes with shock as the guy with the hat grabs his arms while Red gets in on top of Vera. The sound seems to disappear as Nestor watches the men touch Vera while she screams for him. Another memory flashes before her of the man in the car who picked her up off the side of the road. The same man touched her many times in her sleep as well as when she was working in the club.
"Nestor!" she screams again, this time getting through to him.
"Hey!" Nestor shouts, fighting against the man in the hat.
"No! Wait!" Nestor shouts, reaching for Vera as the car begins to drive away.
"No! No! No! No!" he shouts, breaking away from the man and running after the car. He falls to his knees, his face falling into his hands as he sobs.
"No, no, no." he whispers.
